Kiwi dairy operation which milks over 3,000 cows to go under the hammer

A major dairy farming portfolio has recently been put up for sale in New Zealand, which is currently milking a herd of 3,380 cows.

The portfolio of Otago farms, which covers a combined 992ha, produces a total of $8.5m (€5.64m) worth of milk a year or a total of of 1,418,000kg of milk solids annually.

Based on the South Island, the portfolio is made up of four stand-alone dairying operations which are owned by Borst Holdings Ltd.

The four operations within the portfolio are Pleasant Creek Farm, Kauroo Flats Farm, Kinloch Farm and Incholme Farm.

Pleasant Creek Farm is a 321ha property split into 42 paddocks, milking 980 cows using a 36 aside Herringbone shed with auto cup removers.

The farm also includes five houses including a five-bedroom executive style homestead, a four-bedroom manager’s residence as well as accommodation for staff.

Also milking 980 cows, using an automated 70 bail rotary shed, Kauroo Flats Farm is a 225.4ha property split into 32 paddocks.

On a 247ha spread, Kinloch Farm is split into 34 paddocks and was consented to milk 700 cows in a 54 bail rotary shed built last year.

Using a 46 aside herringbone shed to milk 720 cows, Incholme Farm is a 197.4ha property split into 29 paddocks.

The sale of the portfolio is being managed by Bayleys Canterbury through salespeople Kurt Snook and Noel May, while offers will be accepted up the deadline of December 15.

The farms can be bought individually, in any combination of entities, or as one entire portfolio, according to Snook.

This collection is one of the largest private dairy farming portfolios to have come onto the market since the Crafar and McVitty portfolios some seven years ago.

All farms were well maintained and have substantial infrastructure buildings, such as calf-rearing sheds,lock-up barns, effluent pump sheds, and cattle yards, he said.

Meanwhile, all four units have highly-developed cattle races to ensure easy access to the respective milking sheds, Snook added.

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The Borst Holdings portfolio had been strategically built up over a number of years, according to May, but a change in the vendor’s personal circumstances meant the farms were now being put up for sale.

“The location of three of the farms is in immediate proximity to each other, allowing for considerable operational cost-efficiencies.

“This ranges from staff cross-utilisation and rostering, through to maintenance scheduling and asset maintenance. The fourth farm is only a 30 minute drive away.”

These are highly productive units, all grow fodder beet enabling wintering for at least 80% of cows on the farms.

Kauroo Flats, Incholme and Pleasant Creek farms have supply contracts with Fonterra, and associated shareholdings, while Kinloch Farm has a supply contract to Oceania Dairy Ltd.